TENS attachment for device for cleansing and treating skin

Abstract

A device for delivery of TENS current, attachable to a handheld skin treatment device with a mechanical motion source, comprises a housing for mounting on the handheld skin treatment device, with a conductive skin contact head with first and second electrodes for receiving a TENS signal as a voltage established between the electrodes and a connector mounted in or on the housing and configured to interface with the mechanical motion source to receive the motion of the motion source. The device has an energy converter in the housing to convert the motion into electrical current, a power control circuit for receiving the electrical current and converting it into at least one power supply output voltage; and a signal generation circuit connected to the at least one the power supply output voltage for producing as an output a TENS signal for delivery to skin.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A device for delivery of TENS current, attachable to a handheld skin treatment device with a mechanical motion source, comprising:
 a housing for mounting on the handheld skin treatment device, comprising a conductive skin contact head with first and second electrodes for delivering a TENS signal as a voltage established between the electrodes; 
 a connector mounted in or on the housing and configured to interface with the mechanical motion source to receive the motion of the motion source; 
 an energy converter in the housing to convert the motion into electrical current; 
 a power control circuit for receiving the electrical current and converting it into at least one power supply output voltage; and 
 a signal generation circuit connected to the at least one the power supply output voltage for producing as an output the TENS signal for delivery to skin. 
 
     
     
       2. The device of  claim 1 , where the signal generation circuit comprises a microprocessor that is configurable to determine one or more parameters of the TENS signal to make it a waveform suitable for aesthetic TENS treatment. 
     
     
       3. The device of  claim 1  , wherein the handheld skin treatment device comprises:
 a handle with a mounting portion for receiving a skin cleansing head, said head being removably connectable to the mechanical motion source; and 
 wherein the housing is configured to support the first and second electrodes in a generally planar configuration for skin contact. 
 
     
     
       4. The device of  claim 3 , wherein the energy converter comprises a stepper motor and the connector configured to interface with the mechanical motion source receives an arcuate motion for delivery to the rotor of the stepper motor. 
     
     
       5. The device of  claim 1  wherein the handheld skin treatment device is a device with an oscillatory mechanical motion source for delivery to a removable head that translates the oscillatory mechanical motion into a relative motion between a first portion of an elastomeric skin contact surface and a second portion of an elastomeric skin contact surface. 
     
     
       6. The device of  claim 1  where the mechanical motion source is a shaft oscillating on an axis, the energy converter comprises a stepper motor and the connector configured to interface with the mechanical motion source receives from the shaft an oscillating arcuate motion for delivery to the rotor of the stepper motor. 
     
     
       7. The device of  claim 1  wherein the energy converter is a pancake stepper motor. 
     
     
       8. The device of  claim 1  wherein the TENS signal is a waveform consisting of a sequence of pulses of a one polarity followed by a sequence of pulses of an opposite polarity. 
     
     
       9. The device of  claim 1  wherein the first electrode is in the form of a circle and the second electrode is in the form of a ring surrounding the circle. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1 , wherein motion source provides arcuate motion, oscillating between the ends of an arc of between 5 and 90 degrees. 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld skin treatment device comprises:
 a handle with a mounting portion; 
 an electrical motor disposed within the handle and attached to an actuator, said motor and actuator adapted to supply an oscillating movement at a frequency of about 5 Hz to 30 Hz; and 
 a cleansing head operably connected to the actuator and having a first major surface and a second major surface, the first major surface comprising a plurality of elastomeric cleansing features extending away from the first surface and having an aspect ratio of about 1:5 to 10:1, 
 wherein the actuator is operably connected to the second major surface of the cleansing head to apply oscillating movement thereto, wherein the oscillating movement provides a total displacement per oscillation of about 0.5 mm to 8 mm. 
 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the cleansing head is partitioned into two or more cleansing head sections. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion source provides one of oscillating or rotating motion. 
     
     
       14. A device for delivery of TENS current, attachable to a handheld skin treatment device with a mechanical motion source and a jack connector, comprising:
 a housing for mounting on the handheld skin treatment device, comprising a conductive skin contact head with first and second electrodes for receiving a TENS signal as a voltage established between them; 
 a connection jack mounted in or on the housing and configured for insertion in the jack connector to interrupt a current that powers the motion source and direct a current from an electrical power source of the handheld skin treatment device to a current supply pair leading into the TENS attachment; and 
 a signal generation circuit connected to the current supply pair for producing as an output the TENS signal for delivery to skin. 
 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 14 , wherein the connection jack upon insertion displaces a resilient element that normally completes a current path of the current that powers the motion source. 
     
     
       16. A device for delivery of TENS current, attachable to a handheld skin treatment device with a mechanical motion source, comprising:
 a housing for mounting on the handheld skin treatment device, comprising a conductive skin contact head with a first electrode for delivering a TENS signal as a voltage established between the first electrode and a second electrode; 
 a connector mounted in or on the housing and configured to interface with the mechanical motion source to receive the motion of the motion source; 
 an energy converter in the housing to convert the motion into electrical current; 
 a power control circuit for receiving the electrical current and converting it into at least one power supply output voltage; and 
 a signal generation circuit connected to the at least one the power supply output voltage for producing as an output the TENS signal for delivery to skin from the first and second electrodes. 
 
     
     
       17. The device of  claim 16 , where the second electrode is located on the handheld skin treatment device so as to be contacted by a hand of a user and is connected to the TENS signal when the housing is mounted on the handheld skin treatment device.